A Month Ago
by LaLaChihuahua
Summary: "I never thought I'd meet the perfect girl. And now that's she's been ripped away from me, I don't know how I can live." Much better than the summary. FINALLY STARTING TO WRITE AGAIN AFTER 3 YEARS. REVIEWS PLEASE. SxS, NxH, NxT, SxI.
1. Your Assignment

**WHO MISSED MEEE!!!!!! :DD *rotten tomatoes* Okay, not many. But I'm ready to begin a new story, continue others, delete, and recreateee! It's still gonna take me FOREVER to update, since now I be in 10th grade! XD I hate AP classes people. But here's my new story, and I reallyyy hope you all like it :) I know it's my favorite!**

:~**~:

"Class! Listen up!" Sasuke lazily turned his attention to the front of the room. His teacher, Kakashi, stood at the front of the room. His notes were, surprisingly, on his desk. Kakashi was a man of many, many words. He was not one to let something go. Sasuke leaned backwards in his chair, and listened to his teacher babble.

"We have a new assignment. This project will be a month long." The class groaned. Sasuke closed his eyes, thinking of better things he had to do other than another project.

"Now, now. This assignment is very crucial. It will not be for a grade, but--"

"So why the hell do we have to do it?!" A boy with blond hair shouted. Sasuke looked over to see his best friend, Naruto, standing with his fists on his desk. Kakashi glared. "Naruto, you have detention for your profanity. And second, because you will learn a thing or two about life after this." Naruto grumbled and sat down with his arms crossed. Sasuke focused on his teacher again.

"As I was saying, for the next month, we will be travelling to a hospital. You will each be assigned a patient to talk to and get to know better. Some of the patients are very ill, and others will be out within the next couple weeks. If anything like this happens, you will be assigned a new person." Sasuke was suddenly angered with this assignment. He put all the chair legs back on the floor, and stayed focused nonetheless.

"When I call your name, you will come up and get a piece of paper with a patient's name and room number. We start tommorow." Kakashi picked up a stack of papers sitting on the corner of his desk. He began calling names, and one by one the students got their papers. Sasuke was soon called up, and he stood to recieve the paper. He, being the last one, sat down and the class began to talk. He took this time to look over his paper.

He had a girl named Sakura Haruno. 'Great, probably will turn out to be another fangirl...' Sasuke thought, turning to see a few girls staring a smiling. Being known for playing numerous sports and adoringly handsome made him one of the most popular guys in school. He turned back to continue looking at the sheet, eyeing all sorts of information. Height, weight, eye color, and multiple random things thrown in. Suddenly, the bell rang, indicating the end of the school day.

"Class! Be in here no later than 7:30 A.M.!" Kakashi shouted over yells of happiness. Some students complained, others shrugged and hustled out the door. Sasuke turned to leave the room last.

"Oh, Sasuke?" He turned around.

"Yes, sir?"

"There's something you should know about your patient."

"Okay, please do inform me."

"She's--" Another bell rang. Sasuke turned again towards the door. "I'm sorry sir, but I must be at practice now. I'll figure it out eventually." And with that, Sasuke sprinted out the door. Kakashi sighed, and leaned against his desk.

"She's terminally ill..." he finished.

:~**~:

Sasuke walked through the doors at 7:30 A.M. sharp. He saw everyone settled in their seats. Kakashi was taking attendence and didn't even look up to greet him. Sasuke shrugged and went to sit in his seat. Kakashi flew through attendence, and everyone began lining up at the door to head towards the bus. Naruto stood next to Sasuke.

"Hey," Naruto said. "Who's your person?"

"Some girl named Sakura Haruno. How about you?"

"I have a girl named Hinata. I think she'll like me!"

"Yeah, if you don't talk her into an early grave first." Naruto and Sasuke turned around to see a smirking Neji and a bored Shikamaru.

"Shut up Neji! Let's hope you don't bore your patient to an early grave!" Naruto yelled. Neji rolled his eyes in response. "Really original, idiot." Naruto glared, but dropped the arguement.

"So, do you guys have girls too?" Sasuke asked. They both nodded.

"I have an Ino." Shikamaru said.

"I have a Tenten." Neji grumbled.

"Fangirls?" Sasuke asked. Everyone nodded and sighed. Neji, Naruto, and Shikamaru were Sasuke's best friends, and were as equally popular and good looking.

"So, Naruto. I heard you have my cousin." Neji said, eyeing him.

"Yeah. Why is she in there?" Naruto asked. Neji shrugged. "I think she just had surgery or something. I don't really know."

"Alright everyone! Let's move!" Kakashi led the class through the halls of the fancy academy. Everyone was quiet, making sure not to disturb other students in thier classes.

"Now, find a seat on the bus and get comfortable. We have a fifteen minute drive."

:~**~:

**.Day One.**

"Room...309...here we are..." Sasuke knocked quietly on the door to Sakura's room. He heard a muffled 'come in' and he opened the door. What he saw shocked him down to the bone.

:~**~:

"Room 317! Alright!" Naruto knocked on the door somewhat loudly and stepped in the room. He saw a girl with short purple lying in the small white bed looking at him. He grinned, and walked over to the girl's side.

"Hi! I'm Naruto!" He shouted. The girl winced at the volume of his voice, but smiled. "I'm Hinata. It's very nice to meet you." She slowly extended a hand, and he took it lightly and shook it.

"So, I'm thinking that I'm supposed to get to know you?" Naruto said unsurely. Hinata giggled. "That's what the nurses told me."

"Okay, well first off, why are you in here?"

"I had some surgery done last month on my spine. I ended up shattering part of it from doing a backflip off the balance beam at gymnastics."

"Ouch..." Naruto said, feeling some pain in his own spine.

"I was doing okay, until the scar got really infected. Now I'm being monitored for a while."

"Wow. I can only imagine the pain."

"It only hurts on occasion. Most of the time I can't feel it 'cause of my medication. But enough of my sad tale, tell me more about you!" Naruto smiled, and babbled away to his new friend.

:~**~:

"Okay...Room...uhh..." Neji took a quick glance at his sheet of paper. "Room 276. And here we go..." He softly knocked on the door. He opened it and saw a girl sitting on the edge of the bed, sharpening a knife.

"Hey! Don't tell me you're trying to kill yourself!" Neji gasped, and rushed over to the girl, taking away the weapon. This didn't make her happy.

"I was only sharpening it, and everyone in this damn hospital knows I have it!" She growled. Neji reluctantly gave the knife back to her.

"Umm...I'm Neji...I'm here to--"

"You're hear to talk to me and make me like the hospital more. Yeah, yeah, I heard this already." Neji was shocked for a moment, but smirked.

"Okay, so what's your name?"

"Tenten."

"You don't talk very much, do you?"

"Not to people I don't like." Neji smirked again. He was beginning to like this girl.

:~**~:

"I hate projects..." Shikamaru said as he heard loud laughter coming from inside his assigned room. He sighed and knocked on the door. "Come in!" said a cheery voice. A little too cheery for him.

"Ummm...are you Ino?" Shikamaru asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Yup, that's me!!" Ino shouted, lying down in the bed.

"You seem unusually happy."

"Nope! I'm just a naturally happy person!"

"How spectacular..." Shikamaru mumbled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Excuse me?"

"I said how wonderful." This will be SO much fun.

:~**~:

Sasuke stood wide-eyed at the pale figure in front of him. There was a girl lying in a bed, with machines hooked up to her and beeping. You could see every single one of her bones, even through the bed sheet covering her. But, she had light pink hair, like a cotton candy color, and the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen. Quite frankly, she herself was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

"Uhh, hi. I'm Sasuke. I was assigned to you."

"Oh, yes." Sasuke winced lightly at the girl's sickly, soft voice. "I'm Sakura."

"So...what do you usually do in here?" Sasuke said, very uncomfortable with the given situation.

"Usually I have to lay here all day. Sometimes I get to go outside and walk around with my friends."

"Ah. I see," Sasuke said, as he took a seat next to the bed. Sakura turned to look at him. He looked really tense and kinda scared.

"You know, you don't have to be so freaked out to be in here." She said, trying to cheer him up a bit.

"I can't help it." Sasuke leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms, unknowing of what to say or do. Sakura sighed.

"So, where do you go to school?"

"Kohona Academy For The Gifted." He answered in a small voice.

"Wow. You must be pretty smart."

"I guess..." Sasuke looked to the side of the white room. Sakura turned to look at the ceiling.

This was gonna be a LONG month.

:~**~:

**Reviews?? :)**


	2. Their Pasts

**Okay, I need reviews people! I wanna know what you think :)**

:~**~:

**Day Two**

Sasuke was sitting in the same seat, in the same place, at the same time as the day before. Letting out a puff of air, he glanced around the room for probably the thousandth time that hour. Sakura watched him intently, trying to think of something to say.

"Umm...do you play sports?" she asked quietly. He looked up at her. "Swimming and basketball." Sakura smiled.

"I used to swim too, before I ended up in the hospital. Yep, those were the days..." Sakura smiled a sad smile this time, and looked over at Sasuke. He seemed...semi-interested in the current conversation.

"Were you any good?" Sasuke asked, almost smiling back at her. Sakura grinned from ear to ear. "I was in the junior olympics, actually." Sasuke gaped. It was a RARE moment when Sasuke smiled, let alone gape at something. "Junior olympics??"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's been my DREAM to go to the olympics!! How did you do it?!" Sakura laughed inwardly at Sasuke's sudden excitement. "Let's just say I was an extremely good freestyler. I swam pretty much 24/7. I loved it so much...I was crushed when they told me I couldn't swim anymore..." Sakura's became saddened, and Sasuke decided to take a risky move. He got up and sat next to her on her bed. "What did happen Sakura? Why are you here?" For a few minutes Sakura didn't say anything. Sasuke stared intently at her, hoping she would tell her story. And then, after those few minutes of silence, she did.

"You see..."

:~**~:

"How did you shatter your spine exactly Hinata?" Naruto asked. He and Hinata had become good friends in a short amount of time. Naruto did a lot of the talking, and Hinata was happy to listen to his childish stories and his past. He didn't say much about his past, but he did tell her about his close friends and how he lived on his own, since his parents were gone.

"Well, I was at the State Championships. I was the absolute best at balance beam, for all of my school's history. I had my rountine down flat. I practiced for hours and hours, day after day after day. I was talking to my uncle before I was set to go up. He wished me the best of luck and told me how proud he was of me. And then my father came over to me..." Hinata suddenly stopped talking. Naruto looked at her. "You okay Hinata?" She looked surprised for a minute. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just...when my father came to talk to me that day...he told me that if I didn't win, it would bring shame to the family. I would be shunned from everyone..." Naruto paid more attention to her story.

"Hinata, what happened? If you had the routine down, why would you suddenly...go bad?" Naruto asked quietly.

"...I was nervous. Scared out of my mind. I got up on that beam and my father was staring right at me. He's all I could see, his words were the only thing in my mind. I started a little shaky. When I was getting ready for my double back flip, Father looked at me. He seemed so angry...I flipped and I blacked out. That's all I remember." Naruto was shocked. He didn't know what to say. He did know one thing. Her father was SOME bastard.

:~**~:

"Why weapons? Of all things to like, why that?" Neji practically shrieked. Tenten smirked. "Why not?"

"B-Because! They're dangerous! You could hurt yourself, or hurt someone else, or damage something, or--" Tenten put her hand over Neji's mouth and snarled at him. He instantly shut up.

"Look. I enjoy weapons like this. I think they're fasinating." She took her hand off his mouth.

"But why??" Tenten glared a deathly glare at him. "Did I tell you you could talk?!" He sat there in silence.

"I like them because there's so many ways to use a weapon. Self-defense, harm, martial arts. It's all just so..." Tenten zoned off into her own world. Neji sat and waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

"...amazing. Every aspect of weaponry is amazing."

:~**~:

"So then I was like, 'Woah, she didn't!' And she was like, 'Umm, yeah she did!' Totally weird, huh?" Ino blabbed to Shikamaru. Shikamaru was rubbing his temples trying to take in all the drama Ino just had to have going through her mind.

"So...why are you in here?" Shikamaru said, hoping to change the subject. Ino stared blankly into space. Shikamaru stared at her. "Umm, Ino?" She looked surprised, then turned and smiled at him. "Sorry, my mind's kinda jammed full of stuff. What was the question?"

'Yeah, your mind's full of crap all right...' Shikamaru thought to himself. "My question was why are you in here?"

"Oh, just here for some tests. I shouldn't be in here for much longer. I broke my leg at cheerleading when I was flying." Ino pointed to her casted leg. How did Shikamaru not notice that?

"Flying...?"

"When the girls or guys through someone in the air and they do a bunch of tricks then fall and the people catch them at the bottom."

"Oh, I could've figured that out myself," Shikamaru said. Ino smiled. "Yeah, I did a backflip and the girls dropped me. Not on purpose of course! They just didn't grab onto me in time, and I fell right on my leg. It HURT."

"I'm sure Ino. Breaking bones never feels good."

"Ain't that the truth. I've broken little things, like my pinky or my toe or something, but never anything like my leg."

"But wait, couldn't they just release you the next day?" Shikamaru was confused now. "You see, I never was the strongest, or healthiest person. I developed a small infection in my leg, which is why my theigh is swollen. They're monitoring me to make sure nothing's gonna happen," Ino clarified. Shikamaru nodded.

"So you're the genius of your school, I suppose?" Ino asked, letting Shikamaru open up to her.

"Ha, yeah, pretty much. Champion chess player and IQ of over 200," Shikamaru said proudly. Ino nodded understandingly. "That's cool. I couldn't play chess if I tried. I'm not smart enough for that." Shikamaru smiled. "Do you know how to play?"

"No way! I never could understand. I mean, I know that you need to take the king on the board, and the queen can move anywhere on the board, but nothing other than that."

"I'll teach you. But I must warn you, I can kick your sorry ass."

"Oh, bring it on Mr. IQ!" Then Shikamaru pulled out his travel sized chess game out of his bookbag **(who does that?!)** and the game began.

:~**~:

"I was a champion swimmer, breaking records left and right. I ended up dropping out of school my sophmore year to go train for the junior olympics, but..." Sasuke listened, extremely interested in her story. "But what Sakura?"

"A few weeks after training started, I started feelings really sick. Like, throwing up every day, extremely bad mirgraines, you get it. Then I started having fainting spells, sometimes I couldn't get out of bed. Then one day I got in the pool and passed out, only then I didn't wake up like I usually did. They sent an ambulance to the pool and I've been here ever since."

"Did they ever find out what was wrong with you?"

"They ran tests. MRI's, cat scans, blood tests. Everything. They found a small tumor in the back of my head, and they tested on that..." Sakura paused, tears forming in her eyes. Sasuke leaned in closer to her so he could put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly. Sakura took a deep breath and continued.

"At first, they thought it was actually on my brain, and they were going to go in and remove it, since it was so small. But then they realized that it was a cancerous tumor, and it wasn't ON my brain. It was on my brain stem, so if they touched it, I would die, no matter what. But even now...they can't do anything to save me. And I know I won't live..." Sasuke didn't have anything to say. Maybe this was what Kakashi tried to tell him yesterday. He should've listened, missed practice by just a few minutes to hear what he had to say. He himself could feel tears forming in his eyes. This poor girl, so innocent with such big dreams, was dying, right in front of him. And he couldn't do anything about it. She had THE LIFE. Terrific swimmer, gorgeous girl...how long did she have?

"A few months..." Sakura whispered, as if reading Sasuke's mind. "They gave me a few months to live. But you know...it's not all bad."

"Why? Why would you want to die? Don't you love life?" Sasuke asked, bewildered.

"Of course I love life. I love my friends, my family, everything. But lying here all day...it's not me. I like being able to do things. I miss being able to swim, be myself. I can't do that here in a hospital bed. It's so boring...but when I die, I can go to Heaven. My pain, my tumor, everything bad in the world will disappear. I can swim all I want, when I want, I can be myself again Sasuke. Sure, leaving my friends behind is scary, but you know, they understand. They respect my choices here. And they love me to pieces no matter what."

Sasuke smiled. Maybe he had a new friend here.

:~**~:

**Goooood? Baddd? Reviews PLEASE! I'm shooting for at least....5? That work for everyone? No new chapters 'til I get 5 reviews! :D**


	3. Danger!

**Okay, so I don't think I got 5 reviews. Which is a massive bummer. No cookies for anyone. Except for the couple that actually reviewed :)**

**I will count "gheirg" as a review. :D Although, crticism is always a pleasure to have. Even if you absolutely hate it. :)**

**Which I hope you don't. :O**

:~**~:

**Later That Night...**

The guys had gathered at Sasuke's house (ahem...mansion) after their day at the hospital. And of course, they were talking about their newly found friends in that hospital.

"Hinata's real nice! She's pretty and kind and athletic. I'd date her in a heartbeat!" Naruto ranted, smiling ear to ear. Neji looked over at him. "That's my cousin." The smile disappeared. "Did I say I'd date her in a heartbeat? I meant I'd be her bestest friend if the wonderful, handsome Neji allowed it!" Naruto said. Neji nodded and looked back at the TV screen, catching up on some quality late night drama. Naruto blew out a sigh of relief and turned his attention back to the screen as well.

"What do you think of Ino, Shikamaru?" Sasuke asked. He sighed. "She's a massive prep. I've never heard someone talk so much about people and school and shoes..." Shikamaru rubbed his temples, still feeling the headache from Ino's constant chatter. Sasuke smirked. "Sakura's great. She was an amazing swimmer before she got sick."

"It sucks that she has a tumor though. I can only imagine the pain that comes from that," Neji said, eyes still glued to the flashing lights on the screen. "She doesn't complain about it. Ever. It's like it's not there. Sometimes you can see her cringe though from pain. It makes me feel so horrible, because nothing can help her." Naruto gaped at Sasuke. Sasuke raised his eyebrow at him.

"I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much, Sasuke!" Sasuke's eye twitched, and a few seconds later, Naruto had a nice bonk on the head. "Shut up dobe. Just because I keep to myself a lot doesn't mean I can't talk too."

"He does have a point. You don't talk a lot Sasuke," Shikamaru said. Sasuke sighed. "I'm not much of a talker, I guess. But when there's a good topic I do tend to speak up. But anyway, what kind of girl is Tenten, Neji?"

"Let's just say she's...crazy. In a good way."

"Is that even possible?" Naruto asked. Neji shrugged. "She's really into weapons. The ways you can use them I mean. She's so fascinated...I don't understand how or why, but she is."

"Yeah, I don't think that's natural, dude," Sasuke said. Neji let out a small laugh. "Yeah well, what am I gonna do? I'm not going to tell her she can't like something just because it creeps me out."

_**I feel it deep within,**_

_**It's just beneath the skin,**_

_**I must confess that I feel like a monster...**_

Sasuke reached for his phone in his pocket. The caller was unknown. Sasuke shrugged and ignored the call. "Who was that Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. Caller unknown. Anyway, I think this project is going to be pretty fun. Our partners are pretty aweso--" Just then, his phone rang again, with the same caller. Frustrated already, Sasuke answered.

**(Sasuke, **_**Kakashi**_**)**

**"Hello?"**

_**"Sasuke? This is Kakashi, I need to talk to you."**_

**"Okay, first of all, how did you get my number?"**

_**"Off the inside of one of the stalls in the bathroom at school."**_

**"Umm..."**

_**"Look, we can discuss that later, right now we have a serious problem."**_

**"Okay?"**

_**"Is it possible for you to get to the hospital right now?"**_

**"Yeah, definitely. What's wrong, is it Sakura?"**

_**"Yes, I'll explain when you get here. Just hurry."**_

Sasuke was about to say something, but he heard the click on the other end, and close his phone. He quickly grabbed his jacket and keys. "Guys, Sakura's in trouble. I need to go to the hospital now."

"We're coming with you," Neji said, jumping up with Shikamaru and Naruto, and rushing over to Sasuke. Sasuke nodded and sprinted for the garage, the guys following close behind. In a matter of seconds, they were on their way.

:~**~:

"Where is she?" Sasuke practically yelled at Kakashi when they arrived. Kakashi held up his hand. "Just follow me, I'll explain when we get there." He turned on his heel and jogged down the long, white hallway in the hospital. They came to a different room, labeled 'Authorized Personal Only'. At first, Sasuke thought they had gone to a closet of some sort. But when Kakashi opened the door to a tragic sight, he knew they were in a hospital room made for only the sickest of the sick.

There was Sakura. Blood gushing from her head.

Red was everywhere. It had stained the white sheets and pillow on her bed. Sasuke ran over to Sakura's figure. She was breathing heavily, and could barely turn her head to look at him. She smiled an extremely weak smile, then coughed, blood making a think stream out of the corner of her mouth. Sasuke grabbed a tissue off the stand next to him and very gently wiped it away. He turned to Kakashi and demanded to know what happened.

"Sakura was walking with her friends after you all left. It was her, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, and they were all walking outside. Sakura ended up passing out, and fell onto the sidewalk, causing a gash on her head. The girls rushed her back here, and since Sakura has such thin blood, she hasn't stopped bleeding," Kakashi said. Sasuke's eyes widened and turned his attention back to Sakura. She was gasping for breath. It was the most horrible thing Sasuke had ever seen in his life.

He needed to save her.

No, that's what doctors were for. Tax dollars paid for this hospital, damn it! The doctors were going to save her, right now.

Speaking of which, where the hell were the doctors??

:~**~:

**You all get a short chapter because nobody enjoyed reviewing. So ha. Reviews pwease :3**


	4. Dig Deeper

**Has it really been over 3 years since an update? Let's catch up here, my lovely readers: Due to an immense amount of writer's block, school, sports, LIFE, it's obvious that my writing had seized. But after (surprisingly) remembering my account information and realizing where my stories had left off, I had to come back. I can't leave this story unfinished after I put so much thought into it; perhaps I'll even redo the entire story. In 2009 I was a sophomore...freshman? Early high school. But now I'm a graduate in college and my spare time will go into finishing this story. Maybe even start writing more? Who knows what spontaneous ideas I'll have to type? But, time to stop rambling. I'm back for the time being. **

**For those who have read my work in the past, I think you'll be greatly pleased with how my writing has matured and grown over the years. I take a lot of pride in my stories, and when I DO manage to get really into a story I put a lot of time and thought into every chapter. I hope you enjoy my stories. I think you will. **

**Ladies and Gentlemen, the next chapter of A Month Ago.**

.xx.

"Can anyone tell me where the doctors are?!" Sasuke spoke harshly, losing his temper in the slightest. Shikamaru was already down the hall calling for help from anyone, while Neji and Naruto stood across from Sasuke.

"Sasuke, calm down. I'm sure Sakura can still sense you're worrying. You need to relax. I'm sure the doctors are doing what they can," Neji said calmly.

As if the doctor had heard everything, he came strutting in the room, ready to continue helping Sakura. "For such a minor injury, it sure is causing a lot of problems, isn't it?" No one answered the doctor's rhetorical question. Sasuke probably would've said something crudely sarcastic, but decided to keep his own opinion in his head. The doctor, ignoring the obvious tension (which was quickly escalating), started stitching the wound on Sakura's forehead. To the average person, the cut would've needed a few bandaids. Sakura, however, was not the typical person.

After what could've possibly been the longest fifteen minutes of Sasuke's life, the doctor injected some morphine into her IV, nodded his head to the group, and left the room quietly. Everyone looked around at each other, unsure of what to do or say next.

"Well, uhh, I think I'm going to do down and get a drink or something. Does anyone want to join?" Kakashi asked, breaking the awkward silence. He felt as though Sasuke wanted to be alone with Sakura, judging by the way he continued to stare at her.

"You know I am rather parched, maybe I'll get a couple water bottles, do you think they sell ramen here 'cause I'm a little hungry too, but wait maybe!-" Shikamaru, who had returned to the room shortly after the doctor started stitching, slapped his hand over Naruto's mouth. "Naruto. Shut. The hell. Up."

"I could use a snack or something too, let's see what they have available in the food court," Neji said.

"You guys go, I'll stay with her," Sasuke replied back to everyone. So Kakashi's senses were right. Quickly nudging the guys out of the room, he shut the door behind them and silence commenced, minus the heart monitor quietly beeping away. Sasuke relaxed and pulled up a chair next to Sakura's bed. Her breathing had returned to normal, and she was sleeping. Sasuke watched her chest slowly rise and fall with her every breath. For some reason, he felt the need to protect this girl. He, of all people, wanted to make sure she was safe from harm. And while there were certain medical problems he couldn't solve, he promised to himself right then and there that no matter what happened, he would keep Sakura as happy as she could possibly be.

Suddenly, there was a barely noticeable knock on the door; Sasuke shifted his attention towards the girl peaking her head in. Tenten made her way through the door as quietly as she could and shut it. "Hey Sasuke, how are you doing?"

"Hnn," Sasuke replied. His focus was back on Sakura's breathing. The corner of Tenten's lip rose slightly, but instead of saying anything, she moved to the other side of Sakura's bed so she was facing Sasuke. "How is she doing?"

"I guess okay. The doctor stitched her up and left," Sasuke left his answers short and sweet. He didn't feel like interacting with anyone, especially someone he didn't know.

"I don't think we've met, I'm Tenten. Neji is my partner for your class assignment," Tenten was trying her hardest to make small talk. She didn't want to be in that room, that hospital, but she needed to make sure Sakura was okay so she could sleep peacefully.

"Yeah, he said you're into weapons."

"Haha, yeah."

"You don't look like you're sick at all, why are you in the hospital?" Tenten chuckled. "I'm not that sick anymore. I'm getting over pneumonia. I've been here for about a week, but hopefully I'll be out in a few days," she answered.

"I guess Neji will be getting a new partner then."

She looked down. "Huh, I never thought about that. I guess he will." To be honest, she didn't mind Neji. She gave him attitude earlier, and he thought it was funny. Not many people put up with her. She was thankful to be leaving, but she had just met this guy! And, as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't have many attractive visitors...none were cute, actually. She turned the other way, the heart monitor suddenly becoming interesting, to make sure Sasuke didn't see the blush rising to her cheeks.

"So you guys were just walking and she tripped?" Sasuke asked, the silence becoming unsettling.

"Yeah! She just fell. Mid-sentence, even. We were talking about how nice it was outside and she collapsed. Thank goodness there was a nurse on break, otherwise we wouldn't have known what to do other than scream her name to high heaven." Sasuke didn't say anything to that. A few minutes went by, and Tenten yawned. "Well I suppose I'm going to bed, it's getting late." So it was, almost midnight to be exact. Sasuke nodded. As Tenten stood up to leave through the door, she turned back to Sasuke.

"You know, it's been a long time since she's had a good friend. Well, except us girls. We're all she has. I think it would mean so much to her if you spent some time with her, and maybe not just time forced upon you for class." Sasuke looked at her, almost stunned. Tenten shrugged and left the room. Turning back to Sakura, he grabbed for her hand out of his own instinct. It may have only been a couple days, but he felt this connection he couldn't explain. Like Sakura was sent to be his best friend. Maybe more? Hell no. Maybe? NO. Grunting, he sat and thought to himself about this entire assignment, this girl, and what Tenten had said. Eventually, deciding he had spent enough time by himself, he got up, said goodbye as softly as he could, and left the room.

.xx.

Day Five

The bus wasn't moving fast enough for the guys. Neji, Shikamaru, and Naruto had gone every day to the hospital with the rest of the class to see the girls. Sasuke, on the other hand, went home every day after school to sit by himself. His worrying was at its peak, he needed to see her. He was the last person to see her, minus the doctors. They had her stay in bed, and wouldn't allow anyone to see her so she could properly rest. Sasuke was eager to see how Sakura was doing now, as were the rest of the guys.

Sasuke was the first to sprint off the bus as soon as it came to a complete stop. Who could blame him? Speed walking to her room, he passed nurses and left his friends in the dust. He approached her door and knocked urgently but quietly and walked in. Sakura was sitting up in bed with clean gauze wrapped around her head, and she gave him her biggest smile. And for once, Sasuke smiled back. "You look so much better, Sakura."

"I feel a lot better! My head isn't pulsing crazily anymore," Sakura said cheerily. After that, it was like nothing had happened. They caught up and talking their time away.

.xx.

"Well it sounds like you had quite the night, Naruto..." Hinata said, rubbing her temples gently.

"Yeah! We weren't sure if she was going to be okay or not, I mean there was a lot of blood everywhere and she wasn't breathing right and it was really scary and horrible and I hope it never happens again! Did you know this hospital doesn't sell ramen, I mean what kind of place doesn't sell ramen, not somewhere I want to be!" Naruto continued to talk quickly to Hinata. She couldn't help but giggle. He was cute, and every time she brought up Sakura he would say the same thing as he did the day before, and the day before that. She missed her friend greatly; maybe she'd ask to see Sakura once Naruto left.

"So, anyway Hinata, has your father visited you?" Naruto asked. Hinata must've been so gone in a daydream, she stuttered horribly. "M-My f-f-father? What now? Oh, umm. No, he hasn't. But that's okay, I enjoy the peace."

"You don't really say much about him."

"Well you don't ask much about him, silly." Hinata put on a fake smile. Naruto, as oblivious as he usually is, shrugged and continued talking about school instead. Hinata took a small breath of relief. Her father was a tricky subject, and some things are better left in the dark.

.xx.

"HA! I beat you again!" Ino beamed. Shikamaru was stunned. Beyond that, he was bewildered. Ino had beaten him for the third time at chess, a game he wasn't ever defeated in. He could do nothing but stare at his king piece, knocked over on its side, slightly rocking back and forth. "B-But, how? THIS IS MY GAME DAMN IT!" Shikamaru pouted.

"Oh Shika, don't get so angry over a silly little game!" Ino said playfully, pinching his cheek ever so slightly. Shikamaru blushed.

"Shika?"

"Yeah! I give all my friends pet names. Well, some of them, really only Sakura. I call her "Forehead" but that's a really long story, do you want to hear it? Or maybe I can tell you why I decided to call you Shika! Oh they're both good stories, I'll just tell you both! So back when Forehead and I were in elementary school—"

Shikamaru was reminded that although Ino was actually remarkably intelligent, she still was a total blonde. Talkative, and rather beautiful. It was too bad he never remembered the stories she told him, they always ran in one ear and out the other.

.xx.

"So I saw Sakura that night," Tenten said to Neji. She was playing with a kunai, gently poking her fingertip to the pointed top. Neji paused. "The night she got stitched up?"

"Well yeah. I was worried; I snuck over to her room. Sasuke was the only one in there, he was watching her breathe." Neji smirked. Sasuke actually cared for a female? No way. Especially one he just met. But maybe that had a certain something he was missing. They did have some things in common. But was that enough for him to stay by her bedside inside of going to get snacks like the rest of them? He might have to pry a little.

"I told him he should stay."

"What do you mean stay?"

Tenten sighed. "I feel as though once your assignment is over, he'll leave. Sakura only has a short time left, and if he leaves...Neji she isn't stable. Physically, I mean. If he leaves, she could go downhill very quickly. She's attached to him already and I don't want to see her suffer. I just hope he stays. Maybe...maybe that'll give her more of a reason to stay."

Neji paused. It was obvious that Tenten cared a great deal for Sakura, for everyone actually. But definitely Sakura. He wasn't sure if it was because Sakura only had a few months at best to live, or something else. But he was confused about one thing. "What do you mean by stay? Doesn't she want to get better?"

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone this. But I trust you. Sakura's already given up. Well no. Let me rephrase. Sakura has accepted her fate. From the moment the doctor told her she was going to die, she accepted it. It doesn't matter to her if she gets better or not. But it matters to me, okay? And Ino, and Hinata and maybe even Sasuke! But not to her. If by some slim chance Sasuke stays longer than your assignment, maybe she'll find the will to live and push through her tumor just a little longer."

Neji had no words to say. He opened his mouth a couple times with a stutter, but no full words came out. Sakura really had no will to live? Did she even care that she was dying? This didn't make sense. Life was life, it's beautiful. SHE'S beautiful, but does that even matter?

"Neji so many people fight for so long to get better for their family and friends, and most of the time the fight ends badly. There's so much sadness and disappointment. Maybe she thinks that if she tells us she's okay with death enough times, it'll be easier on us in the end," Tenten said.

"But that'll just be harder on all of you."

"...exactly."

"I think I'll talk to Sasuke about it."

.xx.

**Phew. Lots of typing. But a productive day, to say the least. It was a lot harder to get back into the rhythm again, but I hope to update every week or maybe ever couple days if I get random inspiration. I hope you all enjoyed this installment.**

** PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW. I know I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but I NEED all the feedback I can get so I know whether or not to continue. See you all very soon!**


	5. Tempers Flared

**Alright guys, I got some inspiration to continue. I only got one review though, but at least I know SOMEONE is reading this. And if that one person is the only one, well I still can't just quit. Thank you LilyVampire for reading along! I'll update just for you.**

**Here's the next chapter of AMA.**

.xx.

It was late at night, and the guys have gathered once again at Sasuke's house. They were sitting around playing Black Ops: Zombies and enjoying different snacks scattered around them.

"Naruto you're so freaking bad at this game," Shikamaru said, running around in the game and shooting every zombie around him with ease. Naruto, however, was running in circles and shooting at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, I can't figure out what all the controls do! And they're so touchy!" Naruto whined.

"Then go camp in a corner or something, I'm trying to get further than level three," Shikamaru replied with a groan.

Sasuke shook his head, entertained by Naruto's poor video game skills. He had been in such a good mood lately, and he knew it was because of Sakura. She was so bubbly and happy despite everything, it was impossible to be sad or angry around her. She was a true friend to him.

"I HATE THIS STUPID ASS GAME!" Naruto shouted, throwing the remote. He had just needed revived for the seventh time, and Shikamaru let him die.

"You're just getting in the way, I wasn't going to revive you just so you could go and fuck things up again," Shikamaru said, smirking. Naruto pouted. "Teach me the ways, oh great one!"

"Watch and learn, young grasshopper." Naruto sat wide-eyed, watching Shikamaru shoot everything in sight. He even shot some things Naruto didn't even see.

"Hey Sasuke, can we talk for a minute?" Neji said softly. He had been sitting and watching the game with Sasuke, secretly thinking of the right things to say to him. Tenten was worried that Sasuke would leave Sakura once the month was over, and Neji had to reassure her that he wouldn't.

"Uhh, yeah I guess. Let's go outside," Sasuke said. They both got up and left without Shikamaru or Naruto noticing. It was rather nice outside for an April evening; cold, but not cold enough to need a jacket. Sasuke leaned up against the wall of the house, and waited for Neji to talk.

"Look man, I don't want to sugarcoat it. Tenten thinks that once this assignment is over, you're not going to return to the hospital."

"That's ridiculous. I'm not just going to leave Sakura like that. She needs me, she needs all of us." Sasuke was offended. Really offended. What kind of person did Tenten think he was? He wasn't completely heartless.

"You know Sakura is ready to die, right?"

"Well yeah, she has an incurable tumor. She knows she's going to die, it's going to happen eventually."

"No, she's looking death in the face and she's happy with it."

"I'm sure she's scared to leave, Neji."

Neji sighed. He needed to be tougher and get his point across, so that it'll actually get into Sasuke's head. "Sasuke she's ready. If she was to die tomorrow, alone in her hospital bed, she'd be fine. She doesn't want everyone to miss her; she's okay leaving everyone behind. I would bet that if she went day after day without a single visitor, she wouldn't care."

"Are you saying she doesn't want me there?!" Sasuke stood up from the wall and get closer to Neji. Neji was pushing it, and Sasuke wasn't afraid to punch him as hard as he could.

"SHE'S READY TO DIE AND DOESN'T HAVE A SECOND THOUGHT ABOUT IT. SHE HAS NO WILL TO LIVE AND YOU NEED TO GIVE HER A REASON TO STAY." Sasuke was shocked, and took a step back. Didn't she want to stay, at all? With her friends?

With him?

Neji knew he went too far. He didn't lose his temper often, but he definitely stepped way over the line. "Sasuke I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. Look, Tenten told me she has no will to live. We, as her new friends, need to give her one. Maybe she wouldn't be deteriorating so quickly if she actually wanted to stay. She likes you, Sasuke. Definitely as a friend, but maybe more. Who knows? It hasn't been long, obviously. But I see how you look at her too; I know you see something in her that you want to see forever. We can give her more time, Sasuke! We can give her reasons to FIGHT. YOU can give her a reason to fight. Just think about what I said, okay?" And on that note, Neji walked back inside.

Sasuke stood there in awe and silence. Did that really come out of Neji's mouth? He couldn't believe that Sakura would just drop all of them without a single thought. There was nothing left for her? Family? Her friends? Did HE mean nothing to her? She meant a lot to him, but he didn't mean anything to her?

He found himself sitting against the wall now, shocked. He needed to show her just how wonderful life was. One way or another, he was going to prove to her that she had a thousand reasons to live. And he would make sure that he was at the top of that list. Standing up slowly, Sasuke walked back inside, his head pounding and his energy drained.

.xx.

**This was obviously a filler chapter. I didn't have a ton of inspiration, but I'll definitely make the next chapter longer and include more days at the hospital. PLEASE SEND ME YOUR FEEDBACK, GOOD OR BAD. I need your insight, readers!**


	6. Taking A Chance

**Alrighty, it's time to continue the story. I got a couple reviews, so thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback! I know last chapter was really short and just a quick filler. But I'm hoping that I can make this chapter a lot longer, and maybe add some drama? You'll just have to read and find out…**

.xx.

Day Eight

Sasuke had spent the past couple days trying to figure out how to talk to Sakura about not wanting to live. That wasn't hard, the trick was going to be staying calm throughout the conversation. Neji had backed off so Sasuke could calm down, and honestly Sasuke was grateful. He wanted the alone time; it was just him and his thoughts. Naruto and Shikamaru had no idea what was going on. Sasuke did realize, however, that they would have to find out sooner or later.

What he really needed was a plan, instead of just giving her a list of reasons to stay. Because talking is just words spewing out of someone's mouth, right? How often does a conversation truly impact someone? Sakura was the type of girl that needed to SEE what was in front of her, not just hear about it.

The bus halted to a stop in front of the hospital. Sasuke sighed and stood up, following the rest of the guys and other students. Everyone else had gone inside by the time Sasuke got off the bus, except for Neji. Neji smiled at him.

"Do you know what you plan on saying to her?" he asked cautiously. He didn't want to upset Sasuke right before he went to see Sakura. Sasuke shrugged. "I'm trying to think of a plan. I want her to see what she has to live for. I don't think she'll really get it if I just tell her, you know?"

Neji thought about it. "Yeah, words and words. I get what you mean. Well man, you know that all of us are willing to help, including the girls. Just let us know what you decide to do." Neji walked ahead of Sasuke into the hospital. Sasuke quickly followed.

.xx.

Hinata stared out of her room's window. It was a decently nice day outside. Not real sunny and bright, but not dreary and rainy either. That's how she felt though. Sad, depressed, and any other synonym one could think of. She put on a happy face for Naruto, though. Someone like him should smile every moment of the day. Besides, her problems weren't a big deal.

"Hi Hinata!" Naruto nearly shouted, cheerily. She turned to face him and smiled. "Good afternoon, Naruto. How are you?"

"I'm really good, I had a wonderful day at school! In gym we played this game, it's sort of like dodgeball but at the same time it's different, you know? I don't think you'd like it, it's kind of intense but—" Naruto continued to babble. Hinata usually caught most of his words, but today she couldn't focus on his sentences. She didn't realize that she had turned her head back to the window.

"Hinata?" She lightly gasped and turned her head back to Naruto. He was looking at her with a worried expression. "What's wrong? You've been acting really distant lately."

She sighed. 'I guess it's time to tell him what happened…' she thought to herself. "Well, after you left the other day, my father came in to see me."

"Really? How'd that go? Was he friendly?" Naruto looked at her, asking random questions with interest.

"Umm, I guess I'm not surprised with what happened." Hinata looked down at her blanket, her small hands grasping at it lightly. Naruto took notice to her sadness. "Hinata, what happened?"

"Do you remember the first day you were here? I told you about my accident and what my father had said, right?" Naruto nodded.

"Well he came in the other day. He asked me how I was healing and if I'd be ready to go back to gymnastics right after I was released from here. I told him that I didn't want to go back. I'm scared to! I completely shattered my spine, Naruto! But anyway, he came in and said that my only chance for being accepted back into my family was to get back in the sport and become the best of the best. My family has completely cut me out. I failed, and now I'm nothing to them." She tried not to cry. God, she tried. But the tears started slipping regardless, much to her displeasure. Naruto stood up and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hinata, pardon my French, but fuck your father. You aren't a nothing, and you didn't fail anything. You made one mistake; you're only human. You're amazing, and they're a bunch of idiots if they don't realize how truly wonderful you are," Naruto said comfortingly. He had his arms gently wrapped around her. She cried softly into his shoulder, feeling guilty for sharing her problems with him.

"You don't need any of them, they aren't worth keeping around," Naruto said.

"But they're my family, they're all I have left to go to."

"Not true. You have the girls, and the other guys, and most importantly you have me! And if they aren't going to accept you back, then you can just come with me when you're released." Naruto smiled widely, making Hinata giggle. She really did have great friends.

.xx.

"Shika, what are your parents like?" Ino asked randomly. He raised an eyebrow at her. "They're pretty much the opposite of me."

"What do you mean?"

"They go out a lot, and travel the world 90% of the year. I don't see them much. They tell me I can go with them but that's not my style. I'd prefer to sit in the grass and look at the clouds. It's relaxing."

"But you have the chance to see the world! Doesn't that excite you?" Ino was shocked. Who wouldn't want to travel everywhere their heart desired?

"Ino, I'm not all about that. My parents like doing wild things, they enjoy adrenaline rushes. I don't need that. I'm laid back and let life pass by slowly. I have everything I need right here."

"Well the next time you get to go across the world, let me know. I'll go in your place." Shika smirked. "Maybe I'll just take you with me if I decide to go."

Ino blushed lightly. She giggled obnoxiously, then blushed even harder. 'I'm so glad that I can keep my crush on him a secret,' she thought to herself. Sarcastically, of course.

.xx.

"I seriously thought Sasuke was going to hit me as hard as hell could at that point." Neji was telling Tenten about what had happened a couple days ago. Tenten sat in shock. "He got up in your face like that?! I'll kill him!" She grabbed her favorite kunai and immediately started finding objects around her to sharpen it with. Neji laughed. "We're fine now. He just didn't get what I was saying until I yelled at him."

"Do you think he'll get through to Sakura?"

"I know damn well that he's going to try his hardest. He wants to show her what she has to live for. Not just tell her."

"Yeah, Sakura doesn't think things through. She's very 'action now, consequence later' minded."

.xx.

"Sakura, can we talk?" Sasuke asked timidly. He still wasn't sure how to address the situation at hand. It was going to be difficult to wing it, though. Sakura smiled at him. "What's up?"

"Neji told me that you didn't want to live anymore."

"Well that was a straight forward statement." Sasuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He already knew both of their tempers would get out of hand. They were both extremely stubborn people. "Is he right?"

This time Sakura took a deep breath. "I guess it is. I mean, it sucks leaving everyone behind. But I don't want to live anymore. I'm going to die, why should I fight just to lose it all anyway?" Sasuke just stared at her. What should he say next? Should he just drop the subject? No. He had a plan. It wasn't complete yet, but it was a plan nonetheless.

"Sakura, I know you feel that way. But in all honesty, you're only hurting everyone more than they should be hurting. Including me! How do you think I'd be if you died without a single fight?"

"I'm sure you'd be fine after a few days and realize that I'm in a better place." She didn't mean for it to come out as harshly as it did, she really didn't. But the look on Sasuke's face after that turned completely sour, and she automatically regretted it.

"Fuck it then, Sakura! You know when I first got this assignment, I completely dreaded it, especially because I got a girl, and I'm sick of fangirls chasing me all the goddamn time! You were just going to be another fangirl, and you were the last person I wanted to deal with. A person on their deathbed, that's fucking exciting right there!"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak in anger, but she was quickly stopped.

"But then I got to know you a little better, and you know, you're probably the only girl I can stand! You're beautiful on the inside and out, and you have amazing friends and an amazing life. You're talented and wonderful, but I guess how I feel about you means absolutely nothing. So why should I give a shit? If you want to die, then die. Don't bother thinking about how any of us would feel. Me, Naruto, the girls, don't even worry about it. We'll 'be fine after a few days and realize you're in a better place'."

Sakura sat wide-eyed at him. She couldn't believe what he just said. She looked down at the bed, and started to look at her hands. Then her arms. Suddenly, much to Sasuke's surprise, Sakura threw the thin blanket off of her frail body and stared at her stomach, her legs, her feet.

"I'm so bony," she finally said quietly. Sasuke didn't say anything. The silence hung in the air, and the tension was rising. Five minutes went by, then ten. Fifteen minutes rolled around, and the standing silence broke.

"I used to have the will to live. I remember the first couple days I was in here. I was going to get better, I'd get back to swimming and all my friends at school. I'd win medals, and be known throughout the nation, maybe even the world. Then I'd meet an amazing guy, he'd become my fiancé, and we'd settle down, have some kids, and grow old together. I had life planned out. But then things started getting worse. One day it suddenly hit me. 'You're going to die. Those life plans? Forget them. You're done for.'

"I knew I was going to die. Everyone around me did too. My friends stopped visiting me because they didn't want to watch me die. I ended up being alone most of the time. And obviously I started getting thinner and paler. Then Ino one day just popped up in here, and we started talking more. We met Hinata and Tenten and we all became best friends. And as much as I saw them, I knew that one day they were all going to be able to go home. Back to their families and friends. I wouldn't, not ever.

"Then you came along. You and the other guys. I was finally meeting new people! And I can't tell you how happy I am that I met everyone, especially you. There's just something about you, Sasuke."

Her speech stopped. Sasuke stared at her in silence, like she had never spoken a word in her life until now. But she smiled shortly after.

"I stopped fighting because every reason I had to push forward left me. But now, now I have all of you. And you're all right. I need to fight, I want to see the girls meet guys and get married. I want to see my next birthday." Sasuke reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Sakura I can tell you a thousand reasons right now to fight through. But honestly, I want to show you instead."

"Show me?" Sakura turned her head to face him. She was confused, how could be possibly show her anything from her hotel room?

"Do you trust me?" She nodded. "Then I'll do whatever it takes to show you what you have to live for."

.xx.

Sasuke's House

"So you talked to Sakura?" Neji asked. The guys were sitting back in the living room after their day at the hospital. Shikamaru and Naruto were attempting to play Black Ops, and Neji and Sasuke were having a quiet conversation.

"Yeah, I lost my temper, but I got through to her. I need to put my plan into action," Sasuke popped a chip into his mouth, watching Naruto shoot the ground in the game.

"You have a plan?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how to go about carrying it out. I want to get her out of the hospital for a couple hours a day, to show her different reasons why she should fight. But, I mean, she's constantly monitored. How am I supposed to do that?" Neji thought for a few minutes.

"Maybe you can request certain times to take her out. Talk to her head doctor, maybe she can accompany you wherever you go, just to watch Sakura. You never know when something could happen." Sasuke nodded. "That's not a bad idea. Tomorrow when we go in I'll find her doctor and see what I can do."

"NARUTO WHY DO YOU SUCK SO BADLY AT THIS?!" Shikamaru shouted. Naruto pouted in response. "You're supposed to be teaching me the ways!"

"YOU'RE UNTEACHABLE."

"NO, have faith in me!"

"You've failed me as a student!"

Neji and Sasuke both smirked. This was completely normal for them. Sasuke suddenly had an idea.

"You know, she's been cooped up in that hospital for a long time, when was the last time she's been at a house hanging out with friends?" Neji smiled. "What if we got everyone to come over for a few hours to just chill? She'd like that."

"I think she would too. Well then, looks like we have the start of a plan." Sasuke and Neji high-fived and continued to watch Naruto fail miserably at video games.

.xx.

**Phew! All done for now. Almost 2,500 words, a couple hours of typing, yeah I can't complain. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I tried to throw some drama in the mix. Tell me your own ideas for where Sasuke should take Sakura! Or even your own ideas for what the next chapter should be about! As always, REVIEW!**


End file.
